UN Refugee Agency warns of deteriorating conditions in Yemen

UNITED NATIONS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Tuesday warned that the situation in Yemenis deteriorating, a UN spokesperson has said.

"Fighting in Yemen's Taizz has displaced nearly 50,000 people since the beginning of the year. This is in addition to the 3 million people who have been uprooted since the start of the conflict, of whom 2 million are still displaced and 1 million have returned home to precarious conditions," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at the daily news briefing.

The Agency is able to access Mokha, one of the worst affected areas in Taizz, said Dujarric, adding that the Agency distributed enough aid for 6,200 people last week.

In Hudaydah, UNHCR field teams saw a huge spike in humanitarian needs, with displaced people living on the streets. The Agency is leading efforts to respond to additional displacement in anticipation of intensified hostilities in the area, he said.

Also in Yemen, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that as of Tuesday, the number of suspected cholera cases had exceed 14,000 with 186 associated deaths.

The UN and its partners were delivering supplies to 33 diarrhea treatment centers and health facilities across the country, said the spokesperson.